Spotting table vacuum plate



Nov. 23, 1954 w. c. GLovER, .JR 2,694,914

SPOTTING TABLE VACUUM PLATE Filed Oct. 5, 1951 INVENTOR. W/V//m 6.'6701/64' .//z

Eby. 4. f g JM ATTO/@Nix 2,694,9l4 Patented Nov. 23, 195.4-

i'ff nce SPOTTING TABLE VACUUM PLATE William C; Glover, .l r., KansasCity, Mo.

Application ctober 5, 1951, Serial No. 249,998

Claims. (Cl. 6S--240) This invention relates to spotting tables and moreparticularly to spotting tables having a perforated surface on which avacuum is imposed to aid in the spotting operation.

In dry cleaning fabrics, spots are customarily removed by a processknown as spotting whereby the fabric is treated by hand with water orsome liquid solvent to remove the more stubborn spots and stains. Unlessthe solvent is quickly removed from the material after the spot has beentaken out, rings and stains are likely to be left in the fabric. Forthis purpose, various methods are used for imposing a vacuum on aperforated portion of the spotting table. The suction produced by thevacuum dissolves the solvent with a minimum of staining and ringing ofthe fabric.

Heretot'ore, the mechanism used in applying the vacuum has beencumbersome and complicated, requiring special vacuum appliances andfittings, which are not easily installed and which are ineffective toproduce the desired suction.

Therefore, it is a primary object of this invention to produce a vacuumplate for a spotting table requiring no special or complicated mechanismfor concentrating the vacuum beneath the plate.

A further object is to provide a vacuum plate for a spotting table withconcentrated and diffuse suction areas of precise and limited area.

A further object is to provide a vacuum plate for a spotting table withconcentrated and diffuse suction areas produced by the pattern orarrangement of the openings in the surface, rather than a special typeof vacuum appliance.

A further object is to produce a vacuum plate for a spotting table thatmay be installed easily at any location along the length of the table.

Still another object is to produce a vacuum plate for a spotting tablethat is easily and conveniently removed for cleaning or other purposes.

Other and further objects of this invention Will appear from thefollowing description.

ln the drawings which form a part of the specification and wherein likenumerals are employed to designate like parts of the various views,

Fig. l is a perspective view of a spotting table with a vacuum plateembodying the invention inset at its end,

Fig. 2 is an enlarged plan view of the plate in Fig. l,

Fig. 3 is a view taken along the line 3 3 in Fig. 2 in the direction ofthe arrows,

Fig. 4 is a view taken along the line 4 4 in Fig. 2 in the direction ofthe arrows,

Fig. V5 is an enlarged sectional view showing the rim support for theplate.

In the drawings the numeral 1li designates a spotting table having a topboard working surface 11 and a vacnum pan 12 attached to the undersideof the board. The vacuum is produced by a suction pump or steam jet inthe usual manner. A foraminous plate 13 is inset in the top board 11 tofurnish a suction surface. ln the drawings this plate 13 is shownlocated at the end of the table, but may be located anywhere along thelength of the table. Under certain circumstances, in the cleaning y ofdifferent types of fabrics it may be desirable to position theperforated section elsewhere than at the end. In use theplate 13 isusually covered by a screen 14.

The holes in said foraminous plate 13 are of different of greatersuction and a region of lesser suction. In Fig.

2, the pattern is shown as a peripheral region of small holes 15a spacedat relatively great distances from each other to provide the area oflesser suction around a central cluster of larger roles 15b spacedclosely together to provide the area of greater suction.

' A threaded tubular support member 16 extending from the foraminousplate 13 to the vacuum pan 12 furnishes a central support member for theplate. A threaded bolt 17 having an enlarged head 17a is insertedthrough an opening 12a in the vacuum pan and is screwed into the supportmember 16 so the head 17a abutting the underside of the vacuum pan holdsthe plate 13 in position. L

A rim support shown at 18 having substantially the contour of the edgeof plate 13 and carried in part by the vacuum pan and in part by theedge of the top board is the edge support of plate 13. This rim supporthas a spacing portion 18a and a support portion 181: with an invertedcushioning channel strip 18e straddling the support portion 18h. Theportions 18a and lb may be formed separately and combined or formed asone member. The spacing portion 18a is attached to the upper, inner edgeof the vacuum pan 12 and the adjoining edge of the top board 11. Toremove plate 13 for cleaning or replacement, bolt 17 is simply unscrewedand the plate lifted out.

In operation, the garment to be spotted is treated on the Workingsurface with the required solvent and then placed over or on theforaminous plate where the vacuum is applied. The precisely delimitedareas of greater or lesser suction on the plate may be used as requiredby the material being processed or the amount of solvent present. Thusthe solvent and dissolved impurities are removed before drying thematerial thus avoiding stain-- ing or ringing the fabric.

It is seen that a vacuum plate for a spotting table has been producedwhich requires no special mechanism for concentrating the vacuum beneaththe plate and which may easily be installed anywhere along the surfaceof the table. There also has been produced a vacuum plate withconcentrated and difruse suction areas, the suction areas being producedby the pattern of the openings in the surface rather than a special typeof vacuum appliance. The vacuum plate produced may also be easily andconveniently removed for cleaning or replacement.

From the foregoing it will be seen that this invention is one welladapted to attain all of the ends and objects hereinabove set forthtogether with other advantages which are obvious and which are inherentto the structure.

lt will be understood that certain features and subcombinations are ofutility and may be employed without reference to other features andsubcombinations. This is contemplated by and is within the scope of theclaims.

As many possible embodiments may be made of the invention withoutdeparting from the scope thereof, it is to be understood that all matterherein set forth or shown in the accompanying drawings is to beinterpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. in a spotting unit of the character described, a generally horizontalwork table, a vacuum pan below the table and attached thereto to formwith the underside of the table a vacuum chamber, said table comprisinga primary foraminous zone and a secondary foraminous zone providingopenings through which air is drawn through the table into said chamber,said secondary zone encircling the margin of said primary zone, and theratio of the aggregate opening area to the aggregate closed area beinggreater in said primary zone than in said secondary zone thereby toproduce a greater suction effect in the former than in the latter.

2. A spotting unit as in claim l wherein said openings through the tablein said primary zone are spaced more closely together than are theopenings through the table in said secondary zone.

3. A spotting unit as in claim 1 wherein said openings through the tablein said primary zone are of larger size than are the openings throughthe table in said secondary zone.

4. A spotting unit as in claim l wherein said openings through the tablein said primary zone are larger 1n size and spaced more closely togetherthan are the openings through the table in said secondary zone.

5. In a spotting unit of the type having a relatively broad but shallowsuction chamber, the top wall of which comprises a generally horizontalwork table, said top wall having a perforated zone of restricted arealocated at a point remote from that at which the suction is imposed onsaid chamber; the improvement which resides in said perforated zonebeing subdivided into a primary perforated zone and a secondaryperforated zone, the ratio of the aggregate open area to the aggregateclosed area being greater in said primary perforated zone than in saidsecondary perforated zone thereby to produce a region of greater suctionin the former and a region of lesser suction in the latter, theperforations in said primary Zone being larger in size than those in thesecondary zone, said larger perforations being arranged in a centralcluster surrounded by the smaller perforatons of the secondary zone.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS NumberName Date 18,035 Borrman Aug. 25, 1857 148,130 Moore Mar. 3, 1874219,357 Howe Sept. 9, 1879 1,016,435 Overholt Feb. 6, 1912 1,053,665Spencer Feb. 18, 1913 1,575,524 Benjamin Mar. 2, 1926 1,667,656 DilzellApr. 24, 1928 2,334,012 1943 2,363,956 1944 2,399,576 1946 2,550,493Ohlson Apr. 24, 1951

